Q&A: Ricki Askin, VP Music Services + Licensing at VICE

When Ricki Askin joined Emmy Award-winning, global media and broadcasting company VICE in 2011, she was one of 125 staff. Bringing with her experience from MTV and none other thanthe Oprah Winfrey Network, Askin is nowVice President of Music Services + Licensing, and one of over 1,000employees.

Next Month, Askin will speak at music industry conference Face The Musicin Melbourne on the panel Dispelling The Myth & Mystery Of Syncs And Licensing.Ahead of her appearance Askin chats to TMN about how music licensing for film and TV works, the skills neededto follow her career path, her work onVICE’s documentary about Snoop Dogg and more.

Overseeing music licenses for arguably one of the most successful punk zine-turned-new media companies couldn’t have been arrived at using the clearest of career paths. How did you come to take on the role?

I was actually the company’s first music supervisor, joining the company around the launch of their music vertical, Noisey. The position started out focussing heavily on licensing (versus creative), but with a few years under my belt, campaigning for the importance of process and the value of music, VICE landed a deal with HBO for the weekly news magazine series VICE which allowed me to return to my more creative side.

I loved the challenge of coming into a newly created position and pushing my way into people’s workflows. Music is such a big part of VICE’s DNA that it was only a matter of time for everyone to get on board with the process.

How does music licensing for film and TV work?

I like to look at this niche as a great mix between creative and intellectual. It’s important to have an ear for music and a keen understanding of the precise feelings that different music and instrumentation evoke. It’s also important to be able to grasp the business side of the process: how to track down different rights owners, what the legal verbiage involved in a synch deal means and appropriate negotiating tactics. This can all be taught to the right person who’s passionate about music in film.

Because VICE is a global brand, would you say it’s easy to get the songs you want for a show?

Sometimes it’s easy as our content garners a lot of musician fans! It is always fun to hear an artist is a fan of our programming! Conversely, our content is largely documentary-based and so music often comes second to the importance of the topics we are covering. We rarely work with vocal music and often times music is heavily budgeted for if the subject matter is heavy in the news space.

Why would Music Supervisors choose an original score rather than using existing music?

There’s something special about original music that hasn’t ever appeared anywhere else. Additionally, original score allows the composer to tweak to picture: a detail that really can tie a production together and can really work out perfectly with pre-existing music.

How did it feel when VICE won an Emmy in 2014 forOutstanding Informational Series or Special?

That was a very proud moment. The team is the most hard-working, brilliant, creative, hungry group of individuals and to be a very small part of a large production that was appropriately recognized like that was incredibly gratifying. Also, the category really allows for the entire team to participate in the acknowledgment.

You worked on Reincarnated VICE Films’ feature documentary about Snoop Dogg. Were there any tracks he wanted in the film that you weren’t able to get licenses for?

As a hip hop fan, this was an amazing project to work on and a great learning experience. We were lucky enough to be able to get all the music we wanted (around 30 songs!) but we had to get creative in our negotiating approach so as to not blow the bank. We landed with an epic hip hop doc that highlighted Snoop’s most popular hits and took us on a journey through the creative process of his latest album (at the time).

Looking back at your entire career so far, including your time at MTV and the Oprah Winfrey Network; what do you see as the highlight?

I feel incredibly lucky to have come to VICE when I did: a few years before they grabbed the attention of the mainstream and obtained deals with media power houses like HBO and A&E. To be able to come into a smaller company of about 125 (in New York) and see it grow past 1,000 employees; to be able to build a team and be part of the growth and infrastructure, to be able to work on Emmy Award winning content and surrounded by so many brilliant, passionate creatives: the past severals years have been an ongoing highlight.

Face The Music this year takes place at the Melbourne Music Week Hub on November 17 & 18

For the full program of speakers, panels and performers visit:facethemusic.org.au